


Sundays and the In-Betweens

by 365GoneRogue (beachboundandbemused), beachboundandbemused



Series: In Another World [3]
Category: The Good Fight (TV)
Genre: Chronological One Shots, F/M, Kid!Fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-24
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-02-26 16:33:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21551341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beachboundandbemused/pseuds/365GoneRogue, https://archiveofourown.org/users/beachboundandbemused/pseuds/beachboundandbemused
Summary: "If there’s anyone I’ve ever wanted to change my life with, to create and raise a human being with, it’s you.”Responses to three "5+ Headcanon" prompts weaved into a single thread. One part narrative, two parts chronological one-shots that contribute to a greater story.
Relationships: Diane Lockhart/Kurt McVeigh
Series: In Another World [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1189912
Comments: 72
Kudos: 155





	1. Sleepless

**Author's Note:**

> AU picking up in the midst of Season 3 of The Good Fight (following "We're starting over" and Kurt's position with the VA, but without Diane's cloak and dagger shenanigans) in which Kurt and Diane are a good few years younger. 
> 
> Broken into three parts, each influenced by a particular prompt, the first will be more narrative-based while the following two will be comprised of chronological one-shots.
> 
> Thank you for reading!

** PROMPT I:  ** McHart AU, Diane is pregnant

** PART I, CHAPTER I: SLEEPLESS **

“Kurt,” she says as she curls her hand around his bare bicep, gently shaking his body in an attempt to rouse him. “Kurt,” she says again, this time a little louder.

He let’s out a groan of a sigh as he rolls from his stomach to his back, rubbing a hand over his eyes. He had just begun to enter into sleep, a great feat with her endless tossing and turning by his side. “What is it?” he asks, voice hazy.

“I-” she begins to tell him, but her voice catches like his hands on her silk stockings. She swallows hard before trying again, this time successfully. “I’m late.”

His eyes are immediately drawn to his alarm clock glowing dimly in the dark room and he opens and closes them, adjusting his vision until he’s able to make out that the short hand is pointed just past the twelve. _What on earth could she be late for at this hour?_ “Diane,” he begins with a slight edge. “What are you-”

“My period, Kurt,” she clarifies before he has the chance to finish his question. “My period is late.” He hears a certain rawness in her words, and once he sits up, switches on his lamp, and turns to his wife, he sees it reflected plainly in her features, too—her brow creased, her eyes a little darker. 

He knows that now is not the time to maintain his stoic silence, that she is searching for reassurance. But before he can gather his thoughts and form his words, she slips into a rant.

She usually gets it on Sunday mornings, she explains, and so when she hadn’t gotten it earlier in the day day, alarm bells went off… and when she then thought about it further, it occurred to her that, as a matter of fact, it should have been the Sunday _prior_. “I can’t imagine it’s anything but a false alarm—I wasn’t even going to tell you until I took a test, but…” She trails off, lips parted as she watches her husband throw back the heavy covers and rise from their bed, crossing the room. “What are you doing?” 

Diane blinks, caught off guard by the high-pitched panic she hears in her own voice and by the sudden tightness in her chest and the lump in her throat as she watches the physical distance between them grow at this moment.  
  
He seems to hear it too as, after pulling a t-shirt and a pair of jeans out of his dresser, he turns back to her, makes eye contact as he assures, “Just getting dressed so I can go out and get a test.”

“Oh,” she says, releasing a deep breath, breathing a little easier but still far from being at ease. One concern settled, another building… while yet another continues to linger heavily. “You want to do that tonight?”

Kurt inclines his head as he pulls on his worn jeans and begins to fasten them. “You think either of us will get any sleep if we don’t?”

She remains silent. His point is valid, but there was a reason she hadn’t taken one earlier today: she wasn’t ready. 

They had talked about starting a family, of course, and while they hadn’t decided to actively pursue it, they _had_ decidedly kept their options open. Before marrying, he had offered to see to things himself, on his end, had she not wished to. But she had, and, along with it, had tacitly agreed to carry their child—provided it was safe to do so—should she ever become pregnant. Six months into their reconciliation with their marriage stronger than ever, the timing was admittedly ideal. Still, there was an enormous step between keeping a door open to a possibility and walking through that door, entering into a new life.

While he does not understand all that is going through her mind at this time, he must see something in her eyes—the uncertainty, in particular. Once his t-shirt is on he rounds the bed and sits beside her, facing toward her though avoiding her gaze.

“Do you…” A beat as he steels himself for her potential answer. “not want this, Diane?”

She clears her throat and his breathing grows heavier, though his face remains impassive. “It’s not that,” she tells him, reaching for his hand and pulling it to her lap over the duvet to hold between both palms, taking her time to gather her words because she wants to get this _right_. “It’s _not_ ,” she repeats, adamantly, as she fights to keep her emotions in check despite the overwhelming feeling that continues to build within. “But this would change our life, Kurt, completely and entirely—our life that I truly love.” It is not perfect, it is not the life that she once envisioned for herself as a small child playing with her dolls, nor is it the life her parents had imagined for her—but it is a good and fulfilling life. Her work gives her purpose, her husband both fills and envelopes her with love, and she is _happy_.  


“Of course,” she concedes, “that’s not to say that I couldn’t—that I _wouldn’t_ —love another life, too, because if there’s anyone I’ve ever wanted to change my life with, to create and raise a human being with, it’s _you_.” He finally meets her eyes then and gives her a gentle smile— _the feeling is mutual_. 

Neither had ever truly considered the possibility of becoming a parent before they became a unit, before finding the person that made them a better person and complemented them perfectly, that they knew could makeup for any of their shortfalls in childrearing and in life.  


“But we _would_ be giving up a great deal… and gaining a great deal too, I know, but that doesn’t mean that the momentous change in our life wouldn't be challenging to cope with all the same.”  
  
Kurt nods, reaching up to wipe away the tears that have collected in the corner of her left eye. “I understand that, I do,” he tells her gently, and it’s the truth—he feels it, too… though, admittedly, perhaps not to the same extent. “But waiting isn’t going to change the result.”  


“I know,” she says in a light sob, half laughing, half crying.   
  
“And right now you’ve got…” He pulls a face. “Schrodinger’s baby.”  
  
At that, Diane more laughs than cries.  


“You may not be pregnant, but you’re not _not_ pregnant, either. …Or, you _are_ both pregnant and not pregnant?” He shakes his head, chestnut locks falling across his forehead as he pulls out of the analogy that’s getting too far off track. “The point is, wouldn’t it be better to know, either way? And if you _are_ pregnant, we have time to talk, to plan, to make this transition as easy as possible.” He truly believes that finding out now is their best option, that it will bring them both some form of peace either way. But he also appreciates that her experience is and will be different than his own, that he is not, will not, cannot be as invested nor immersed as she, and he will leave this decision in her hands. “Look, if you really want to or need to wait, we will—”  
  
“No,” she cuts him off, looking more sure of herself than she has since she woke him, “you’re right. Let’s take a test—let’s know.”  


*

As Kurt steps out the front door of their townhouse, a gust of late September wind catches him, his body bracing itself on its own accord. He looks down the street to his left to see his truck, and though the shelter of the cab is enticing, so is the opportunity to move, to breathe in the invigorating brisk air, to be a part of the calm that comes over this part of the city at this time of night while his mind is anything but. The nearest drug store is less than a half mile away, and with parking it would take just about as long to drive as it would to walk. And so he descends the four front steps and turns right, making his way down the dimly lit sidewalk. 

It is both his first and last chance to process this before all is altered… or isn’t, as the case may be. _A baby,_ he thinks, the thought so strong that the words can be heard under his breath. And he, a _father_. There’s a thrill bubbling within him that he cannot quite master, his eyes crinkling and his lips curling as a result. He’s never felt the _need_ to be a parent, but perhaps a want… a want that has only grown in recent years as he has built a life with his wife, as he has grown to love her more and more. He’s even been so bold, in quiet little moments, to let himself imagine what a life as a family of three might be, conjuring images of tossing the football with his son or daughter out back in the golden-lit field, of gathering around the dinner table, of days at the lake. 

But he has always been a practical man, and as he walks along as he makes a conscious effort to not get caught up in the prospect of it all—certainly not yet. She may not be pregnant at all, and if she is, his wife is right—it _would_ be a lot, would indeed permanently change the course of their life. A life that he, too, quite loves. 

As he continues on towards his destination, he can’t help but consider other factors, as well. Could having less time and energy to commit to each other put a strain on their newly restored marriage? Could he grow to resent the lack of ability to come and go as he pleases? He physically tenses as he thinks of how the world they’d be bringing this child into is so dark and unkind today. 

“ _You’re brooding,_ ” he can practically hear his wife say. He stops, takes a deep breath of chilled air, exhales. Somehow they always manage to ground one another, even when the other is not there. _That’s promising_ , he supposes. He hears his own earlier advise to his wife, too, that came from a clearer mind, from a place of reason— _wait until they know_ —advice he knows he should heed.

Feeling more centered again, if not at ease, he pulls his jacket just a little tighter around him and proceeds towards the drug store, taking his steps just a little bit quicker.

*

The moment she hears the door latch, she regrets not going with him. The air is cold outside, but she swears she feels colder in here, sitting in bed, back against the headboard and knees pulled to her chest, left alone with her thoughts—her thoughts that continue to spiral as she considers, in greater detail, all that either must or will change should they receive a positive result in less than a half hour’s time, the sacrifices that will have to be made, all the ways in which she may screw this up… and _God_ , she _doesn’t want to screw this up_. 

She meant what she said—it’s not that she does not wish to have a child with this man that she loves with her whole heart. She has certainly given the possibility thought in the past, has kept this option open for a reason. In fact, she has given it enough thought to know that, should they have a child, should she become a mother, she wants to do it _right_. She wants to give herself to them entirely, to love them fully, to support them and to fulfill their every need. _She wants that_.

But how can she be that mother with her current life? And how can she say goodbye to this life without losing herself? …That’s the real fear.

Of course, if she has learned anything in recent years, it is the value of moderation. Perhaps… perhaps the sacrifices she anticipates could be modifications instead. Working nearly as many hours, but some from home. Keep their plans to travel, but simply with their child in tow. And he will help her with this, she knows, help her to find balance—he’s always been better at that than she. 

It may not be possible to have her cake and eat it too, but perhaps she does not have to sacrifice all that is her life now—does not have to sacrifice who she is—either. And perhaps even the things she must sacrifice… 

She closes her eyes and imagines holding a newborn in her arms in this very spot with husband by her side and feels a warmth spread within her. 

…would still be worth it in the end.

*

“Two minutes,” she says tersely, brandishing her ticking time bomb of a phone as she exits their ensuite bathroom. She joins him on the bench seat at the foot of their bed and both are silent for the next 37 seconds—she knows because she watches her phone screen closely as the seconds pass, one millisecond at a time. 

“Diane,” he finally says, his voice low, “if it’s positive—”

She takes a deep breath and turns to him before placing a hand to his cheek, effectively silencing him. “Then we’ll figure it out,” she finishes for him. And she’s almost beginning to believe it herself. Husband and wife share a gentle smile and she brings her forehead to rest against his cheekbone, taking solace in his tangible warmth, reverently embracing this potential last moment of a simpler time. 

Any worries that he himself had spun during his walk seem to subside too, all suddenly seeming manageable with her by his side. He wraps his arm around his wife’s waist and turns his head just enough to place a kiss at her temple. “Love you,” he mumbles into her hair.

“I love you, too.”

*

The alarm sounds and she retrieves the stick from the bathroom, and when she reemerges, he’s standing at attention. She comes to stand before him and after one final nod of assurance, she lifts her hand from her side and reveals the results in the space between them. 

Diane’s breath get’s caught for just a moment as she exhales. Kurt clears his throat.

_Negative._ Not pregnant. 

“Well,” she says quietly after a long moment of silence has passed. “I suppose that settles that.” She looks up to her husband and her lips quirk in some form of a smile, but it is momentary and does not reach her eyes. Kurt gives her a singular nod in response. 

*

Earlier, Kurt had suggested that neither would get any sleep that night if they were left without answers. He was probably right, too. But their answer doesn’t bring them sleep, either. Instead, they lie awake in each other’s arms into the wee hours of the morning.


	2. Want

** PROMPT I:  ** McHart AU, Diane is pregnant

** PART I, CHAPTER II: WANT **

They don’t talk about it for two weeks. Fact of the matter is, neither knows _how_. 

Then, one night, attending a cocktail party, they are asked (innocently enough) if they have children. Diane responds with her usual, simple, “we don’t,” but this time, she finds, it comes out with a little less confidence and a little less ease. Kurt, beside her, stands a little taller and his hand, seemingly on it’s own accord, holds Diane’s a little tighter. As the evening goes on, Diane finds her mind drifting back to that encounter time and time again. And to another thought that has been festering since that late night.

“Kurt,” she says in the car, on their way home. Her chest feels tight, but she knows she must let him in—it’s time.  
  


It takes him a minute before he pulls himself out of his reverie. “Hmm?” he finally hums in response.

She can’t help but wonder if his thoughts were circling around their earlier conversation, as well. 

“You should know,” she begins, eyes focusing on the road before them. “If my missed period this month wasn’t due to a pregnancy, it could very well be an indication that I may not have the ability to have a child for much longer.”

A part of her doesn’t know if she can bear to see his reaction, but her curiosity gets the better of her. She looks over to her husband and what she sees, rather than judgement or disappointment, is thoughtfulness, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes becoming more prominent in the shadows of the night as he narrows them. “Do you _want_ to have a child?” 

She’s been thinking about this, too. She’s been thinking about that unexpected sinking she felt in the pit of her stomach at the moment their fate was revealed, about how extreme so many of her fears were and how manageable certain situations actually might be. Still, she has yet to arrive at any conclusion. 

“I don’t know,” she says honestly, immediately feeling a strange sense come over her as she recalls another time she uttered those words to him in this very vehicle.

“Well, you should figure that out,” he says simply in response, his face impassive. And though his words could be taken as sarcastic or harsh, as he blindly reaches for and takes her hand in his and gives it a squeeze, she knows that, as always, he means exactly what he has said.

** *** **

Three months of considerations and in-depth conversations later, and Kurt and Diane sit in two vinyl-seated arm chairs in the region’s leading fertility clinic for a consultation. They are not yet decided on pursuing conception, but they understand that moving forward would require proactivity, and they wish to learn about their options… and if they have any options at all, or if they’d be destined for heartbreak.

They walk out two hours later with an ovulation tracking kit and a prescription for an ovulation stimulant at the doctor’s insistence.

** *** **

As her first ovulation cycle post-appointment approaches, an “ _urgent_ ” business matter calls her out of town. He offers to join her, but she declines. “We’ll try next month,” she promises, forcing a smile. After she exits their bedroom, suitcase in tow, he hears the click of her heels pause in the hall and peers around the doorframe to see her close her eyes and inhale deeply then exhale shakily.

He understands that things moved more quickly than they had anticipated, that perhaps she’s not quite _there_ yet. And they agreed, early on in their conversations, that they wouldn’t and _should’t_ actively pursue this if both weren’t wholeheartedly _in it_. If she’s not, then it is right to delay. 

He rubs the back of hi nick as he makes his way further into their bedroom again and collapses on one of the sofas. Just because it’s the right move at this time doesn’t mean it’s the one he had been hoping for.

*

The next month comes and as they near the week in which they know they can expect ovulation, he gently suggests that they take a couple of days off from their respective jobs and make their way out to the farm. 

She lingers with her red lips parted, blinking once, twice, three times. 

He’s prepared himself for this; for another month’s delay… or, perhaps, an indefinite one. He crosses his arms over his chest as he awaits her response, steeling his stoic self for any potential response.   
  
“Yeah…” she finally says though, to his surprise. “I think I can make that work.”

*

The drive to the country is quiet, the confined space of the truck feeling constricting as it carries them along with every hope and fear they hold. As the night progresses though—preparing and eating dinner, sharing a drink by the fire—they fall into their familiar rhythm with banter and laughs and light kisses. 

At ten o’clock the old grandfather clock sounds, echoing through the space. On a typical night away at the farm, this would be their queue to make their way upstairs and ready themselves for bed, the time allowing for lazy lovemaking followed by a generous night of sleep. Tonight, Kurt looks to his wife, hand tentatively stilling his ministrations on her nylon-clad shins as they rest in his lap.

Diane does not look to her husband, but she does raise her tumbler and empties its remaining amber contents. “What do you say,” she finally remarks—there’s an air of lightness to her voice, but he notes that it lacks its regular smoothness. “You ready to head up?” She looks to him then with her lips turned upward, but they drop when they catch his eyes, dark and hooded, that study her. 

“I’m ready if you are.” … _And only if you are_ , he does not add, though she understands.

After only a moment’s hesitation she nods. “I’m ready,” she tells him, and though her voice is but a whisper, it is steady and sure. 

“Okay,” he nods, extending his hand to her. She takes it in hers.

*

He’s already under the covers and nude when she joins him, clad in a silky black negligee, laying down on her side, facing him, with her head resting on a pillow while he hovers just above her, propped up on his elbow. 

“Hi,” she whispers, gazing up at him.

“Hi.”

As he looks down upon her he runs his fingers through her dark honeyed locks and strokes his thumb over her cheekbone, over her birthmark. She is the most beautiful woman he has ever laid eyes on, the most beautiful soul he has ever known—how blessed is he to have this opportunity to create a human being with her. Curling his fingers in her hair, he lowers himself while he pulls her in to meet him and kisses her deeply.

*

He’s always been a generous lover, but tonight he moves a little slower, takes extra care to warm her from the outside in by covering every inch of her body with caresses and kisses. It takes a little longer than usual for her body to fully react, but it does eventually. Once her folds become slick and he can taste her essence on his tongue, once he is able to move his fingers within her with ease, once her breath is labored and her sweet moans echo through the room, he ascends her now-bared body again, pressing kisses to her hot skin as he does so until he reaches her face. One, two, three pecks to her jaw and her cheek and the corner of her eye before he pulls back. 

“I love you,” he tells her before he brings his lips to hers again and cuts short a muddled breath that he’s sure is a returned _I love you_. She opens up to him, welcomes his tongue to tangle with her own and wraps her arms around his back to embrace him, but as he moves his body over hers and his hard cock brushes over the the sensitive skin on the inside of her left thigh, he feels her tense for a millisecond. He does not stop, but he is cognizant of her reaction and slows, focusing on kissing her a little longer ( _God, he’s always loved kissing her_ ). When he attempts to move to her center moments later, he feels a shift in her breathing again and soon a tremble in her fingers that are pressed against his shoulder blades. 

“Diane,” he says in a concerned sigh, this time retreating without hesitation.

“No, no,” she shakes her head, breathlessly insisting, “I’m fine.” But the tears that accompany her words contradict them.

Kurt shifts to her side and traces the trail of her tears with his thumb, from the corner of her eye to the shell of her ear. “You’re shaking,” he gently points out, still feeling it from the hand that rests atop his shoulder, seeing it in her quivering swollen lips.

“I know,” she concedes, then proceeds to confess, “This _is_ the most terrifying thing I’ve ever pursued.” She pauses and lets out a breath then attempts to muster up the best smile she can as she meets his eyes in the dimly lit room. “And it’s also the most exciting thing I’ve ever pursued, and it’s all a kittle overwhellming, and… and I have all of these hormones coursing though me,” she says with a laugh, the mirthful squint of her eyes causing more tears to fall that her husband is quick to wipe away again. 

“But I want this, Kurt.” She takes his face in her hands then pushes back his dark hair with one hand while she continues to cup his cheek with the other, keeping his eyes directed at her. She’s desperate for him to hear and to understand. “We’ve done a lot of talking and a lot of thinking and I’m telling you that I, without a doubt, want to do this, want this _with_ you and _for_ us.”

“I want this, too,” he tells her, a small smile of his own gracing his features.

She pulls his head closer, touching her forehead to his briefly before touching her lips to his, kissing him. Her hand in his hair then runs down his neck, his back, to his hip as she guides him between her legs again, then drifts further to his front where she wraps her fingers around his shaft. She pumps him twice and circles his head with her thumb to help restore any arousal that may have dissipated due to her emotional release then positions him at her opening while she pulls back from his lips briefly to make eye contact once more and give him a steady nod. 

Her hand may still lack steadiness and her eyes may still glisten as they catch the light, but it is clear she is intent to proceed and he does not need any more convincing. Their gazes remain locked and, slowly, he enters her. When he’s fully within her they both exhale heavily, in both pleasure and and happiness with both sets of their parted lips curling upward in the slightest before meeting once again as they begin to move together.

His thrusts are slow but steady and intense and she meets every one, the two in sync until the very end when they come together.

“And so now we wait,” she whispers into his ear later.

“Now we wait.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always (as with every writer that ever was), kudos and comments are truly appreciated.


	3. Thub, Thub

**PROMPT I: ** McHart AU, Diane is pregnant

** PART I, CHAPTER III: THUB, THUB **

They agree that they won’t take any tests until they have true reason to believe that she’s pregnant—until _after_ a missed period. Three days before her period is due that first month, Kurt, out of town at a conference, receives a call from his wife.  


  
“Hey,” he greets her.  


  
“Hey…”  


  
Her voice is quiet and, he can tell from the single word alone, melancholic. Immediately he knows and lets out a sigh before responding softly, “You took a test.” … _And it was negative_ , he knows but does not add.  


  
“Yeah,” she confirms in a whisper. “I’m sorry. I-I know we said we’d wait, but all of those tests were right there and I-”  


  
“And you’re impatient.” There is a wryness in his voice, his words not meant unkindly, simply knowingly.  


  
She can practically hear the lopsided grin in his voice and lets out some form of a laugh then, conceding, “And I’m impatient. …And, I don’t know, I thought it might be nice to surprise you when you got back, but, well…”  


  
“It’s only been a month, Diane,” he gently reminds her.  


  
“I know,” she says, her voice cracking on the second word, and Kurt’s heart breaks a little. “But as I looked at it, ‘ _not pregnant_ ,’ literally spelled out before me—this time truly _wanting_ it and working toward it—it hit me that… that this really might not happen. That for all of the money we can spend on this, that for all of the tests and hormones and procedures we may subject ourselves to, this may be all we’ll ever get—negatives and disappointment.”  


  
Her voice wavers throughout and there’s a sniffle at the end—she’s crying and he wants nothing more than to hold her in his arms and console her and tell her that it’s going to happen… but he’s 600 miles away and she’s not wrong, and false hope won’t do either of them any good. “That is a real possibility, yes.” But there’s more to it all than that, too. “But we’re only at the beginning of this, and conceiving is _also_ a real possibility. And no matter what happens or doesn’t, Diane, we’ll still have each other and our life together.”  


  
“I know. And I do love our life as it is, I _do—_ you know that _._ But… I guess I’ve just become more invested in this than I expected, certainly more than I intended.”  


  
“Yeah…” he sighs, swiping at the corner of his right eye. “Me too.”

** *** **

Upon exiting their ensuite bathroom, barefoot and still clad in her pajamas, she makes her way to her husband’s side of the bed then pulls back the covers and slips in beside him there, so that she may face him. 

“Kurt,” she whispers, touching her lips to his cheek in a light kiss as she runs her hand through his thick locks. “Kurt,” she says again, just a bit louder. 

He inhales deeply in response, letting out a soft groan in his exhale while stretching his limbs, slowly making his way into consciousness. As sleepy as he may be, when he blinks open his eyes to see his wife’s beaming grin in the soft morning sunlight, he can’t help his lips from curling, too. 

He reaches out, arm easily sliding over the pale blue satin of her top, and pulls her closer, kissing her chastely before his horse voice asks, “What’s got you in such a good mood this morning?”

Her grin grows impossibly wider. “I’m late,” she tells him.

There is no question in Kurt’s mind as to what she is referring to this time around. Still, his eyes narrow in contemplation. “Isn’t—“ he rubs his hand over his eyes, attempting to rub the sleepy fog out of both his sight and his mind. “Aren’t you only due for it today? Isn’t it still today?” 

She lets out a soft laugh, in part due to her husband’s grogginess, in part due to feeling a little ridiculous. “Yes,” she confirms both. “But I do usually get it early on in the day, and I’ve been feeling quite nauseous and exhausted as of late, and—” Sobering a bit, she stops herself short. _And I can just_ feel _it,_ a small voice in her mind asserts. 

She has felt a shift in her body over the last days, a shift beyond nausea and exhaustion, something deeper. She feels something momentous occurring within… the beginning of a new life, she swears. But she cannot bring herself to say it aloud, for her husband’s sake or, if she is being honest, for her own sake. 

Over the last five months of trying with no success, they have grown to be more and more okay with the prospect of not conceiving. They have decided they will not further their efforts, should their current ones not be successful, they have made tentative plans to travel in a year’s time should their—childless—circumstance allow, they’ve begun to put together more clear pictures of what their future will look like both with or without a child. If they got themselves more invested in their hopes than they intended earlier on in this journey, time has lead them to rein them in now. They still want this—truly—but they finally feel as though their disappointment, if it does not happen, will be… still difficult, likely, but manageable.

And that is why she cannot bring herself to say those words aloud now—if she gives voice to that thought, she gives it more power to raise their hopes again, and in the event that she is somehow wrong, it will be that much more of a let down, not to mention she will feel like the greatest fool.

“I think there’s reason to take a test,” she says firmly, instead. It may not be the whole truth, but it encompasses it. 

He studies her as he always has, reading her as he always could. There is more there, he is sure, but he trusts that it is nothing he needs to know right now. He nods slowly, then. “Okay.”

At that, her grin returns in the slightest, this time a little lopsided in guilt. “Good,” she begins, pausing to briefly touch her lips to his. “Because I already took one and we should have results in-” She looks back over her shoulder at his alarm clock. “-about thirty seconds.”

He lets out a low, quiet laugh, shaking his head—caught off guard, but not surprised. She has always been determined and gone after what she wants, and as infuriating as it can be at times, it’s one of the things he most admires about her (not to mention is responsible for their engagement and subsequent marriage). … _It’s also a trait he would love to see in a child of theirs, one day, he thinks_.

“I mean,” she begins, “I was in there, and I had to go, and-” she begins to explain. 

“Diane,” he cuts her off, placing his fingers gently over her lips. “It’s fine, I’m-”

An alarm sounds at a distance. 

They lock eyes and share a gentle smile before she’s slipping out from below the covers again, making way towards the bathroom. When she returns, he is sitting up, back against the headboard with his knees both slightly bent and parted. She sits opposite him, facing him as she curls her legs below her. When she begins to raise her hand to reveal the results, as she did before, she stops herself, as her heart pounds in her chest, somehow stronger than it did that first time.

“Did you want to talk first?” Kurt asks, noticing her hesitance and placing a steadying hand on her knee. Talking has never come easily to them—particularly not to him—but it was something they began to work on following their reconciliation, and had been essential through this process.

She gives him a gentle smile, grateful for the offer, but honestly she doesn’t, not now. She wants to know… so why is it so hard to look? Even harder than before? _Because this time she does not fear the unknown, but rather the known—_ the disappointment she swore she wouldn’t let overtake her, but she feels the potential of doubling every minute.

She shakes her head and then, without thought, hands him the stick. “Here,” _you do it_.

Her eyes fall to her lap as he takes it from her hand. 

He feels something within him heighten when he accepts the test, but he’s all too willing to shoulder this when she, by default, has (and may, and quite literally, at that) carried so much more. He takes one final breath before peering at the small window, revealing the results.

“ _Diane_.” 

He has spoken only one word, but it is saturated in emotion. Her head shoots up in a moment, her eyes meeting his glistening ones, moving to his lips shaped into an uninhibited smile. “Really?” she asks quietly, her own emotions quickly seeping into her own voice. 

Rather than answer, Kurt raises the test in his hand so that she may see for herself— _positive_.

She looks to him again for but a moment before she’s lunging toward him to wrap her arms around his neck, burying her face and her blissfully tearing eyes into his neck. In response he wraps his arms around her waist and pulls her as close as he can, holds her as tight as he can, placing a kiss in her hair, trying to convey all of the joy he feels and love he has for her in this moment. 

She begins to pull back, but stops to kiss him tenderly on her way. Following, they look at each other, aghast, speechless. 

“We’re having a baby,” Kurt finally says, the comment uncharacteristically banal for the man. Except…

She’s still smiling, but something falters within it upon hearing his words. They’ve been so focused on just getting this far, and doing so is, no doubt about it, entirely promising… but it still does not hold a certain promise, particularly at her age. They must remain cautiously optimistic. 

“We do still need to confirm with the doctor,” she begins gently, “and even still… _that_ isn’t necessarily a given.”

Kurt’s smile fades too, though does not disappear. “I know,” he tells her truthfully, smoothing a hand through her hair. He then lowers his hand though and presses his palm against her lower abdomen. “But this is quite the start.”

She lays her own hand over his and entwines their fingers. “It is.”

** *** **

Their first two checkups—both with their fertility specialist to monitor her closely—go well. The pregnancy is confirmed, her hormone levels have been progressing well and are, in fact, above average, and her physical exams leave no reason for concern. 

At eight weeks they go in for their first ultrasound, both restless and thrumming with anticipation as they await the doctor’s arrival. Once she does arrive, following a brief exchange of pleasantries followed by a series of questions regarding Diane’s symptoms, she applies a cool gel to Diane’s bared lower midsection before moving the wand over the area. 

Kurt and Diane are silent as they await any sign of the little glimmer of a life growing within her womb, doing all they can to quell any irrational fears that threaten to bubble up the longer they wait in silence. After what has felt like an eternity, her eyes meet his, both begrudgingly questioning the delay. Diane has just opened her mouth to relay her concerns to the doctor when suddenly, a _thub, thub, thub, thub…_ fills the small space.

_Their baby’s heartbeat._

They immediately, simultaneously, release their respective breaths they did not know they were holding, and each is awash with a myriad of emotions—relief, elation, love, for one another and for their baby that is suddenly seeming so real.

“Are you ready to take a look?” Dr. Morgan asks after a moment.

All the two can do is nod, already so overwhelmed in the most incredible way. After all this time, through the ups and the downs, to now _see_ this new little life they’ve created, too? The concept is stunning.

The older woman makes a micro adjustment to the wand’s position on Diane’s stomach before turning the monitor so that the parents-to-be may see. “Here’s your baby,” she tells them.

And there they are—a little bean of a being, still coming into shape, pulsing with every heart beat— _their baby_. In this moment they are both grateful for the palpable physical connection that they have always shared. Their touch now—both of her hands clasping one of his, his other hand running through her hair—conveying everything they need in this moment, allowing them to keep their gazes set upon their little one on the screen.

They watch for moments on end, yet as the image of the small form drifts out of frame as Dr. Morgan adjusts the wand, Diane feels a loss of breath—she could have watched that little pulsing being for _hours_ on end. 

But then another little form comes into frame.

“And _here_ is your other baby,” the woman adds with a smirk.

Diane’s brow furrows deeply. Kurt’s hand drops from his wife’s hair to her shoulder.

“Twins,” she confirms the question that they cannot manage to compose. “Fraternal.”

Kurt cocks his head to the side as he raises his hand to move over his beard, pensive as he attempts to fathom what they have just been told. Diane’s jaw drops to a caricature degree, positively astonished.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be along likely in two weeks and will begin my response to the second prompt with Part II. As always, thank you for any and all comments and kudos!


	4. Double

**PROMPT II:** McHart AU where Diane is pregnant with twins and how Kurt and Diane raise their twins

**PART II, CHAPTER IV: DOUBLE**

Dr. Morgan gives the two another moment to view their second growing child and to process the information— _twins_ —before she widens the view to bring both little beings into picture. She then goes into an overview of what this will and could mean for Diane’s pregnancy and, following, gives them the opportunity to ask any pressing questions they may have. With Diane and Kurt both still reeling and drawing blanks, the older woman gives them a gentle—and amused—smile before informing them that she’ll have the front schedule an exam for next week, during which they can ask the numerous questions that she is sure will come to mind.

*

Kurt helps Diane into the passenger’s side of his truck before getting in to the driver’s side himself. Once closing the door, he falls back into his seat and both astonishment and joy arise from within with a low chuckle. “Well, then…” he says, gesturing noncommittally with a single hand. 

When he looks over to his wife though, to see her response, she seems to be miles away with her sights set off in the distance out her window. “Diane?” he ventures after a moment has passed. They’ve just received momentous news and his want—no—his _need_ to gauge her reaction is palpable.

She looks back at him but her expression is blank, eyes a little wide. “Hmm…?”

He begins to open his mouth to say something, but he finds he has nothing specific to say—he was simply looking for her open reaction after such news, now that it’s just the two of them in private. But it does not come. And after a lingering moment passes with her expression unchanged, he shakes his head ever so slightly, brushing it all aside for the time being before giving her a small smile and starting the engine. 

*

The drive back to their townhouse is a quiet one. He periodically glances over at her and she appears to remain deep in thought. There is a lot to think about, he knows, and he’ll give her this time to gather those thoughts.

Half-way home, he sees her pull one of the small black and white photos out of her purse, gaze at it for a few moments, running her finger over one little spot then the other before tucking it away again.

Once he pulls up to the curb in a spot a few yards down from their building and shifts the truck into park, he unbuckles his seatbelt and has his left hand on the lever to open the door when he feels her hand settle on his knee. Instantly, he lets his hand fall away from the door and looks to his wife. 

Diane meets his eyes with her own, yet remains silent. Kurt cocks his head to the side in response, _talk to me_ he silently implores. 

She inhales and exhales slowly before she gives him a solemn nod and finally begins to share her thoughts with him. 

“ _I’m grateful,_ ” she tells him, first and foremost, a hint of a smile gracing her lips. From that little glint he sees in her eyes, he knows its true. _But_ …

“But?” he encourages her to delve into what else she is feeling in this moment.

“ _But_ ,” she proceeds, as she tries the blink away the tears that threaten to fall. “This is so unexpected, and I… I don’t know how…” She trails off, gesturing loosely. … _How we’re going to do this._

Certainly they knew that this was a possibility—particularly given her use of ovulation stimulants—but the odds of even having one child had seemed so distant at times that they had never once imagined anything more. And now, they’re having two. Double what they anticipated.

And though she has indeed been looking forward to, _wanting_ motherhood, a child, though she has worked through many of those fears that surfaced nearly a year ago now… some still linger. With that, she now faces double all of the ways in which she can do wrong and double all of the things that, despite all of the desperate want and joy she’s felt, have been lingeringly frightening her since that positive pregnancy test.

Not to mention, logistically, it’s double the breast feeding, double the cribs and highchairs and toys in the house, it’s double the mess, double the practices and games and recitals to make it to, and generally double the responsibility.

It seems like so much. _Too much._

“It’s a lot,” she modifies with a sniffle.

“I know,” he agrees, taking her hands into his. “But we’re in this together, and we have time to work it all out. _And,_ ” he adds, quirking one side of his lips. “It’s _only_ two—they still won’t outnumber us, we’ll be man-on-man.”

She lets out a wincing laugh at that—part amused, part horrified at even the suggestion of triplets or more. Following her initial reaction to his final words, his prior words sink in along with his demeanor. He seems so calm, so sure that they can, in fact, manage this with minimal issue or disruption, like their housekeeper brought home 2% milk for him instead of 1% milk. It’s admittedly reassuring in some respects… but also a little maddening.  


“How can you be so calm about this, Kurt?!” she asks.

He shrugs. This, indeed, was not what they had anticipated and he knows that having a second child—twins, in particular—will bring additional challenges. But when it comes down to it:  
  
“Because anything that brings a little more of you into this world—into my world—can only be a good thing,” he tells her.

To be frank, she’s not so sure how much of a good thing that is, but by God if him uttering those words doesn’t make her heart swell. And conversely, thinking of a world with a little more Kurt McVeigh in it is like thinking of a world with a little more light in it. Indeed, _that_ can only be a good thing.

Before she has the opportunity to return the sentiment, he proceeds, “ _And_ because I have faith in us as a team.”

They, as a couple, as partners, have faced countless obstacles throughout their relationship—both of circumstance and of their own creation—but they’ve made it through each and every one, grown stronger together, and he knows that as a team they can navigate through this life on the horizon, no matter what it may offer.

She nods slowly as a hint of a smile begins to return to her lips until she leans forward to press a kiss to his. After, she pulls back just enough to utter her next words, but remains close enough keep contact with her forehead against his temple, his breath warm on her neck, the love radiating from him enveloping her and, she hopes, he feeling her warmth and love just the same. “I do, too.”   
  
The truth is, it was that very belief that had her wanting to pursue having a baby with this man in the first place. Why should it be any different with two babies than with one?

They remain together for long enough to relish the moment, to feel a peace come over them, even for smiles to grace both of their lips.

When their breaths become even and in sync, Kurt brushes back her locks, places a kiss to her cheek, then quietly suggests, “Let’s go home.”

Kurt exits the vehicle and is quick to round it to meet her at her door. He takes her right hand firmly in his and as they make their way up the sidewalk, walking the short distance to their steps with the golden afternoon sunlight shining upon them, her left hand drifts to her stomach as her mind drifts back to imagining their life in the years ahead. And, indeed, it _will_ be double the challenges. But, if that is the case then so must be this: that it will also be double all that is good—double the little feet, double the smiles and giggles and kisses, double the milestones to be celebrated, double the love.

As they begin to ascend the steps, Kurt raises her hand in his and places a kiss to her knuckles.

And double the joy of it all to share with her husband. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for bearing with me through this hiatus!


	5. Together

**PROMPT II:** McHart AU where Diane is pregnant with twins and how Kurt and Diane raise their twins

**PART II, CHAPTER V: TOGETHER**

Over the past year, since this journey of theirs began, Kurt and Diane have found themselves in a perpetual loop of settling one matter, only to then grow concerned about another. Even now, pregnant and having seen the start of the two lives within her, longing to have those two lives in theirs, there’s a lingering fear over the potential of the loss of them. With those fears along with the physical woes of early pregnancy for Diane, they spend the next weeks feeling optimistic, but oh so cautiously so. They plan, but do so in an abstract way and take no real action; they research but don’t quite delve in entirely; they browse but do not purchase. But as Diane reaches the 13 week mark in her pregnancy, entering into her second trimester, between Diane’s nausea and fatigue beginning to dissipate and the knowledge that their odds of successfully carrying their children to term are promising, there is a noticeable shift in the couple and they finally allow their excitement to fully bloom and to truly prepare to welcome those two little beings into the world.

On the way home from their 14 week ultrasound with all looking well, they, on a delightful whim, stop at a baby boutique and make their first purchase for their babies—two little hats, both white and beige, one adorned with dots and the other with stripes. Slowly, the empty boxes that were placed in Kurt’s office a month prior begin to fill, the room growing more and more sparse so that it may be converted to a nursery. Soon the books begin piling up on their nightstands—books on pregnancy, infant care, childrearing, and on all of the above with content specific to twins, too.

At 16 weeks they visit Kurt’s family in South Dakota and share their news. Of course, the apparent swell of Diane’s midsection in contrast to her otherwise ever-slender form gives her away before they have a chance to properly announce it, but they still have the pleasure of correcting that they are not having _a_ baby, but rather _two_ babies and revel in his family’s collective, astounded joy and outpouring of love. 

By 18 weeks they have embraced and indulged in all that this experience has to offer… including Diane’s surging hormones and accompanying libido. 

*

The sounds of soft moans, and grunts, and of skin meeting skin echo through their kitchen and beyond. In the center of the room, Diane’s damp forehead presses against her clenched fists as her forearms support her atop the marble island countertop. The deep arch of her back leads to the skirt of her wool dress gathered at her waist and her husband thrusting within her from behind.   


Kurt holds her close—the fingers of one hand curled and pressing little dips into the soft, supple skin of her hip while his other hand wraps further around her and works her clit until her mumbled words of encouragement turn into announcements of impending climax, turn to unintelligible cries of pleasure. 

He maintains his rhythm within her until she rides out her orgasm, then comes deep within her seconds later, a guttural groan of his own sounding out as he does. After, his upper body folds over, molding around hers, and he burrows his face into the crook of her neck, breathing her in, indulging in her. 

With being engulfed by all that is her husband—his weight, his scent, his hot, wet breath, the slightest movements as he remains inside her—it’s almost enough to set her off again. 

  
They remain that way for longer than usual. They seem to do that more these days—take time to savor each other and their remaining time in this life as they know it. 

When Kurt finally pulls out of Diane, he tucks himself in before adjusting his wife’s dress and panties for her. He then pulls her upper body to him, encircling her with his arms enclosing just below her bump, nuzzling into her neck again, and whispering into her ear, “God, I love you.”

She lets out half a laugh that comes out as more of a whimper with her body still thrumming and his lips tracing over her sensitive skin there. “Love you, too,” she sighs, and, as she leans further back into him, adds, “love _this_.”

Kurt chuckles lowly before humming affirmatively into her hairline as he places a kiss there. 

“I’m going to miss it,” she says then, a little wistfully.

Again he chuckles and again he kisses her. “No sex quite like pregnancy sex.” 

Her laugh that follows his remark rings out. “ _That_ ,” she agrees, turning in his arms, backing up to the counter and pulling him by the waist as close as she can until her belly presses firmly against his. “But also just the right here, right now, anytime, anywhere sex,” she clarifies a with mischievous little quirk of her lips. 

“Hey,” he begins, taking her hips in his hands and shifting them back and forth in a teasing little shake. “Just because we’re having kids doesn’t mean we have to lose the spark.”

“Oh, I _know_ ,”she raises her brows before letting her hands drift up his chest to his shoulders and pressing her lips to his in a sweet but savory kiss. “And I don’t intend to, dear. But things _will_ change. I mean, God, who do we even have to ask to watch them for us?” It’s said partly in jest, but reveals a very real concern that’s been lingering in her mind and she suddenly feels a little (and all too familiar, these days) prickling behind her eyes.

“We-” Kurt hesitates in the slightest. “We have my family. We’ve talked about a nanny.”

“Your family is great, Kurt,” she says with a soft smile, making an effort to suppress the emotion bubbling up within. And they _are_. “And I’m sure that when we go to visit them, or if-when they come to visit us, any one of them would be happy to watch our kids for an evening. …But they’re not here—they’re not in Chicago or even in Illinois. And sure, we’ll likely have a nanny, we’ll find a sitter or two to have a night out now and then. But if we’re being honest, we don’t have anyone we can call up and ask to take them for an overnight, certainly not to watch them while we go out of town for a weekend.”

Kurt lets out a sigh and must concur. “I know.”

“We don’t have…” She pauses for just a moment as she sniffles. “They say it takes a village-” Her right hand falls from his shoulder to her stomach, over where their children grow. “Where’s ours? _Theirs_? Don’t they deserve that? To have more than us to love them, to teach them, to support them?”

Kurt nods and runs his thumbs across her cheeks to clear away the the tears that have fallen over them. “They do,” he agrees seriously and returns his hands to her hips to hold her securely. “So… we’ll build one.” 

“What, just like that?” she challenges in frustration.

“No, not _just_ like that.” His mouth is open, ready to carry out the remainder of his thought when something else occurs to him, something from long ago. His lips close for a moment while his hands move up and down over her sides soothingly, lovingly, then proceeds to tell her, “You were right. Before we married, you said that it was odd that we hadn’t gotten to know the other people in each other’s lives, and it was. And it became another way in which we failed to intertwine our lives… and I take responsibility for that. I brushed it off; I didn’t make an effort.” 

“You _did_ make an effort,” she counters quietly. “You introduced me to your friends and my reaction was…” she waves a hand, “not encouraging.”

Kurt's head slowly moves side to side at that, negating her. Though his relationships with those young, female, former students in particular were never anything more than platonic, he finds it hard now to begrudge any kind of jealous reaction she had then given his following affair. And besides, they decided two years ago now that they would no longer live in the past—if they cannot change it, they should not dwell on it. Instead, they focus on changing the present and future. Or they try to. …Perhaps he shouldn’t have brought up his own shortcomings to begin this point. 

“Look,” he begins, suppressing all of the explanations and faults he’d like to share, because all that matters is this: “It’s one of many things we both should have handled differently then, but can do differently _now_.”

Diane takes a deep breath and nods slowly.

“We’ll make it a point to involve others in our lives—we’ll go to dinners, we’ll make phone calls, we’ll share the good and the bad, with friends, with family, with your partners. We’ll build a community—for them and for us. Okay? And together we’ll give these two the world.”

It is all easier said than it will be done, she knows, but he says it all so surely that she can’t help but trust that they will. “Okay,” she says, lips beginning to curl and creases forming around her glossy eyes.

Another concern settled for now. 

*

Later, settled against her husband’s side in bed that night, Diane reflects upon the rollercoaster they have been on thus far—she swears she’s never experienced such high highs and low lows in such a short period of time before. Life is like that, she supposes—the ups and the downs—but the waves have all felt so acute within this. …Perhaps that is what parenthood is, she considers, when the stakes are so much higher. Perhaps this will be the new normal. 

She’s gently jostled out of her thoughts as Kurt reaches over her to turn the page of his book—a classic, _What to Expect When You’re Expecting_. She knows that he’s been going through waves of emotions too, but he always seems to take everything so in stride. As he settles in place again, her eyes begin to drift closed, taking comfort in his physical presence and the knowledge that he’ll be by her and her children’s side as they continue on. …And having faith that others will be there, too.

*

Once the chapter of his book comes to an end, Kurt closes it and looks down to see his wife sleeping peacefully at his side. His lips curl up on their own accord. She’s been through a great deal in the past several months, emotionally and physically (his reading material has emphasized that fact in detail), but she has handled everything with such grace and strength.

He knows that her concerns from earlier in the day were valid, and he stands by his commitment to build a community for their family. But regardless of their success on that front, he knows that with her as their mother, with the love they both already have for those little ones, with their promise to work together… their children will be all right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and for your patience on this one!


	6. Names

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, life threw a hell of a curveball my way and this story fell to the sidelines for a while. Beginning to get back into it, but the overall arc may or may not be altered a bit as I proceed (Part III, in particular). Either way though, rest assured that I'll still be providing you all with a proper ending of some kind. Be well. Enjoy. Thanks for your support, your patience, and for reading.

PROMPT II: McHart AU where Diane is pregnant with twins and how Kurt and Diane raise their twins

PART II, CHAPTER VI: NAMES

“What about _Sarah_?”

Kurt and Diane sit side by side on one of the sofas within their bedroom, the one they always seem to gravitate towards. He with a book on his lap and arm wrapped snuggly around his wife, she with her swollen feet resting atop a pillow atop the coffee table that now permanently resides just off the center of the room, within comfortable reach.

“Mmm..” Diane hums, hand moving to her belly as she considers for a moment before agreeably responding, “That’s a nice name.” As she turns to her husband though, she picks up on that slight shift in his expression she’s finally come to learn as a teasing one. “Oh, as in Sarah Palin?” she simultaneously guesses and admonishes.

The growing grin of his indicates that she is correct. A grin that soon falls again as his wife let’s out a huff with a roll of her eyes.

“Please, Kurt, be serious. We have _twelve_ names to select and likely only three months to do so, along with the _how many other things_ we have to do to prepare for these two?”

“I know, I know,” he holds up a hand in defense before apologizing (…something he realizes he seems to be doing more and more of as of late). “I’m sorry. I do take this seriously, you know that. I just thought we could use… a little lightening,” he says with a small flourish of his hand. “And, you know, we _could_ simplify this process a bit.”

“No,” she shakes her head adamantly. “We agreed that we would wait to find out their sexes.”

“Yes,” he nods, “and I continue to look forward to finding out in the delivery room. What I’m _suggesting_ is that maybe we only select first and middle names for two boys and two girls, rather than girl twins, and boy twins, and one of each twins.” His eyes go a little wide, slightly exasperated. They’re well on track with their preparation for the impending arrival of their children, but it is undoubtedly a lot. If they can simplify any aspect of this process without compromising anything, why shouldn’t they?

“That’s all well and good until you end up with set of names the same as famous married couples, or initials that spell out curse words, or- or-” Diane, now exasperated herself, eventually gives up on providing a rational third reason and resigns to simply but surely insisting, “It just makes more sense to select them in sets.”

Ah, because it _would_ be a compromise in her eyes. 

“Okay,” he concedes. “Twelve names it is. Now, I’m going to get a glass of water, do you want me to bring you back some ice cream?” he asks in regards to her latest craving as he begins to pull away to rise.

“Are you trying to placate me with half-hearted agreement and food?” she asks, single brow raised in the way that never fails to cause her husband’s heart to skip a beat.

Carefully considering his options and what sort of reaction each response may earn him, Kurt remains still… until Diane’s facade begins to fall and a smile emerges along with a gentle chuckle, to which he reflects a crooked smile back at her. 

“Thank you, but no. Let’s take a break, but stay here for a minute. Please. I actually want to talk to you about something else in this vein.”

Kurt settles back in his spot, wrapping his arm more fully around her again. “Okay. What is it?”

“ _My_ name.”

Kurt’s brow furrows at that. _What, did she find one in her searches she likes better than Diane?_ Until suddenly it occurs to him: her surname. He blinks twice as he begins to process.

“Not professionally, and not in full,” she prefaces with a gently raised hand. “But I’ve been thinking, and I want to hyphenate legally. As we’ve discussed, I don’t want to put that on our children, I want to keep things simpler for them, but I also…” 

She takes a deep breath and Kurt gives her arm a squeeze. He knows this is not something she takes lightly, is something that is likely quite emotional for her.

“I suppose I want to be a family unit in every way possible. I know that family goes so much deeper than a name—I’ve never felt that our marriage is any less than because we don’t share a name-”

“I haven’t, either,” Kurt softly interjects.

“But with the kids… it’s silly, I suppose, but I want them to know and see that we’re a family unit on every level. And _I_ want to see all of our matching names on their birth certificates, and for everyone to know I’m their mom when I sign their medical forms, and permission slips, and… failed tests, maybe,” she adds with a laugh. “Anyway, it’s superficial, perhaps, but it’s something I’ve decided I want. For all of us.” 

As her words come to a close, Kurt keeps his gaze set downward as he works to master the emotion that he has become awash with until a soft hand to his cheek pulls his eyes upward again to make contact with hers. He knows she’s made out the glint of tears within them when he sees her face suddenly soften and her lips part in a breath. “Well,” he finally begins, swallowing hard before he is able to continue. “You know I’ve always respected your decision to keep your name—I know how hard you worked to build it, I know what it means to you.” And he does, and has never begrudged her one bit for not making a change. “But I can’t say I’m not happy about this decision,” he continues, a grin forming. “I consider it to be the greatest honor.”

Her broad smile shone in return until she brought her palms back to his cheeks and pulled him into a slow kiss, her tongue grazing across the length of his bottom lip before she pulled back just far and long enough to whisper, “Thanks for sharing,” and returning her lips to his. 

He’d give her anything of his if she’d ask for it, but nothing more willingly than his name. 


	7. Roses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there, it's been a while, I know. And I'm afraid that this isn't much of an update--it's short and sweet (in more ways than one). But it's a little something. Hoping you enjoy and hoping to have more for you before too long.
> 
> Thanks for bearing with me!

**PART II, CHAPTER VII: ROSES**

Though she is not vain, Diane has always taken pride in her appearance and made skincare a priority. So when the two little beings growing within her womb threatened to mar her midsection with stretch marks, she expanded upon her beauty regimen and began slathering herself in lotion each and every night before bed—it was rose-scented, cost a fortune, and Kurt would swear she purchased it by the gallon.  
  
At first, Kurt would sit back and watch, enamored, as she sat in bed beside him, moving her lithe hands over her rapidly burgeoning bump. Later, as she became more aware of his eyes so dreamily set upon her (and as there became more and more surface to cover), she’d invite him to help. Soon, it became a part of their nightly routine together. It was incredibly intimate and, in a time when so much of their life felt rushed and had them focusing on either the past or the future, it would slow them down and bring them to the present. They’d talk about their days, they’d reflect upon their journey and the growth of her belly and their babies, they’d feel them kick—gentle pulses below his palm that later grew to taps with impressive force—they’d convey how much they loved one another, in both words and gestures.  
  
In the end, despite copious amounts of lotion applied, she did not make it through unscathed, little pink ribbons beginning to cascade over her skin at 29 weeks. But it mattered little to Diane and did not matter at all to Kurt. In the end, they would have their two babies and fond memories of those quiet, precious moments together. 

Years later, the smell of roses will still elicit those very memories for Kurt and bring a smile to his face.


End file.
